Momofuku Fried Chicken Dinner reservation game plan?

[foodseek]

We are a family from San Francisco planning on a week in Manhattan the second week of April. We are hoping to make reservations for the Fried Chicken dinner for six. I have acquainted myself with their " Fried Chicken" dinner online site for reservations and have signed in. I have been watching it closely and understand reservations can be made only up to a month in advance. But, when the calendar comes up there are designations of open, unavailable, or closed. Actually quite a few days are closed.
What is the "best" time to sign in to secure reservations and what is the difference between unavailable and closed. Any hints would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[kathryn]

Momofuku Noodle Bar offers the fried chicken meal at lunch and dinner. Forthe dinner, Sunday through Thursday, the time slots 5:30, 6, and 10pm. On Friday and Saturday, they offer MORE time slots: 5:30, 6, 10, PLUS 11:45 and 11:55pm.

On Sunday through Thursday, these extra TIME slots are marked 'closed' in the grid. The days are not closed. The days are marked as columns, the times are rows.

The fried chicken lunch is offered everyday at 12 and 2pm. Your best bet is probably a weekday lunch (when other people are at work).

q: when is the new day available online?
a: 10:00 am.

http://www.momofuku.com/restaurants/n...

Log on 27 days in advance (not one month, it's 4 weeks minus one day) at 10am Eastern. Example: Today is Weds 3/9 and Tues 4/5 became available at 10am.

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Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003

[loratliff]

Hopefully coasts will chime in. Apparently it isn't all too difficult to get a res if you're in there right around 10 a.m. (7 a.m. Pacific).

[coasts]

thanks for the nod, Lora. Kathryn has given great info already, as always. the only thing i would add is to know how to navigate the site before logging in to get the reservation you want. timing is everything and seconds are critical, especially for weekend lunch reservations.

notice how the "next week" button shifts to the right after leaving the first calendar page? if you're over-zealous and click haphazardly, you'll end up toggling between the first and second week, instead of advancing to the fourth week. the last day of the fourth week is what is "opening" each morning. you want to get to that page before everyone else.

i've only been twice, but I'm holding a reservation for Saturday lunch in early April. i booked it this past weekend. initially I had booked a spot at Ko, but it was for mid-March, on a date where we're reserved at Devi. i say this only to point out that i first logged into Ko's site, found seating for two, selected it, backed out and still managed to secure Noodle Bar minutes later.

[rose water]

If you check in right at 10 am, you should be fine. You're likely to be out of luck if you sign in later.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Can someone tell me the lure behind Momofuku Fried Chicken because now I might have a choice to make between that and Ma Peche Beef 7 ways

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Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

[rose water]

not much lure, as far as i'm concerned, except that you can make a reservation. i like their non-chicken food much much more.

[ellenost]

You need a reservation for both the Fried Chicken at Noodle Bar and the Beef 7 Ways at Ma Peche. You just need to decide wihether you want fried chicken or beef to choose your restaurant. I've had the Noodle Bar Fried Chicken, and I loved it (although it was a ton of food).

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Ma Peche
15 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019

[kathryn]

It's much cheaper in cost, especially if you bring the max number of people.

[loratliff]

Super duper cheap. The value can't be beat.

[foodseek]

Thank you so much for the explanations! Armed with this new information, I will be online by 7AM Pacific time to make the reservation and hopefully be quick enough to snag a reservation.

[bermudagourmetgoddess]

Good luck and please report back on the fried chicken!

[foodseek]

Will do and thanks again!